While Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations(JCAHO) and American College of Surgeon(ACS) have identified certain audit filters in trauma care, there are few studies to substantiate the value of these audit filters. Some researchers found that audit filters qualifiers were significantly associated with adverse outcomes, however, others were unable to reproduce such association. It is also necessary to test their validity and applicability in Korea. The purpose of this present study was to validate two trauma audit filters proposed by the JCAHO and the ACS, through the analysis of the relationship between timeliness of operation and risk-adjusted mortality. Among trauma audit filters, timeliness of operation in epidural or subdural hematoma(EDH/SDH) and intraabdominal injury were selected. By stratified random cluster sampling, 19 emergency medical centers (EMCs) were selected from 30 EMCs and all patients who received craniotomy or laparotomy in 1996 were evaluated in each hospital. Six medical records administrators reviewed medical records of 463 patients with EDH/SDH and of 508 patients with intraabdominal injury retrospectively. In other to adjust risk of mortality, timeliness of operation, age, Revised Trauma Score(RTS), ICD-9CM based ICISS, and experiences of transfer were included in logistic regression model. In the logistic regression models of all EDH/SDH or intraabdominal injury patients, timeliness of operation was not significant predictor of mortality. However, if patients who have been operated later than 12 hours were excluded from the statistical model, timeliness of operation showed significant or marginally significant relationship with mortality in the following situations; craniotomy > 4 hours in EDH(OR=30.46, p=0.032), craniotomy > 8 hours in SDH(OR=6.50, p=0.020), laparotomy > 2 hours in shock patients(OR=9.26, p=0.055). In addition to timeliness of operation, RTS and ICISS were significant variables in every logistic regression model, and experience of transfer and types of EMC were significant or marginally significant only in EDH. Timeliness of operation as audit filters for trauma care could not be applied to all cases. Early operations seem to improve clinical outcome only in the patients for whom emergent craniotomy or laparotomy were indicated. It could be interpreted as a phenomenon of 'confounding by indication'. Additional studies to establish more objective eligibility criteria for these audit filiters are needed.
Accreditation ; Administrative Personnel ; Craniotomy ; Delivery of Health Care ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations ; Joints ; Korea ; Laparotomy ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Models, Statistical ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Technicians can do emergency care only under the control of the physicians. Emergency medical services system(EMSS) in Korea is now extended from the level of basic life support(BLS) to advanced life support(ALS). Unfortunately we don't have any official medical control system yet. We and regional EMSS, 119 rescue team(BLS), have had monthly joint meeting to validate and improve the prehospital care since August, 1998. METHODS: From August, 1998 to February, 1999, 1,708 patients were transported to Ewha Mokdong Hospital by regional 119 rescue team. Eight hundred and six(47.2%) run record were collected and analyzed. The appropriateness of the prehospital care were evaluated based on the comparison of assessment data and treatment data in each run record. The run record were divided into 5 groups; 1) necessary-adequate, 2) necessary-inadequate, 3) necessary-undo, 4) unnecessary-done, and 5) unnecessary-undo. 1) and 5) were judged as acceptable, and 2), 3), and 4) as unacceptable. RESULTS: Among 806 transported patients, 60.8% required one or more emergency care. 21.0% of required care were not provided, and 20.7% of provided care were not adequate. 78.8% of unprovided and 75.9% of inadequate care were 'airway and oxygen supply'. Overall unacceptable rate was decreased from 31.7% to 17.0% during first 5 months, but it rose up again to 24.7% after 2 months. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) was performed in 29 prehospital cardiac arrest victims and admitted to ICU in 5 cases. CPR was not provided in 8 necessary situations, and unnecessary CPR was done in 3 cases. CONCLUSION: EMSS in Korea also need a kind of medical control system, even for BLS level. Major portion of the quality assurance program could be 'airway and oxygen supply', but attention should be focused in cardiac arrest victims and CPR. Record keeping and reliance of run record data are now pending problems. Fire department should develop a formal medical control system and the referring hospital should have an organization for maintaining the quality of prehospital care.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Emergency Medical Services* ; Emergency Medical Technicians ; Fires ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Retrospective Studies*

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR). Recent studies suggest that continuous end-tidal carbon dioxide(ETC02) monitoring may be useful non-invasive indicator of CPR. The purpose of this study is to determine whether ETC02 monitoring during CPR could be used as a prognostic indicator of resuscitation and survival. METHOD: A prospective, clinical study was performed from May 1997 to April 1998 at the department of emergency medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital. All patients were immediately connected to mainstream capnometer sensor between the tube and the bag after endotracheal intubation using infrared capnometer. RESULT: The study included 70 patients (39 were men) with a mean age of 55+/-16 years. 37 patients with return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC) had higher maximal ETCO2 during CPR than 33 Patients without ROSC (26.9+/-19.4 vs 10.2+/- 9.0mmHg, p=0.0001). The ETCO2 was not significantly different in relation to age, gender, initial rhythm, and survival time after ROSC. But there was significant difference in immediate cause of arrest in ROSC group (P=0.0016). When maximal ETC02 was less than 10mmHg, we observed sensitivity of 83.8%, specificity of 54.5% in predicting ROSC. There were 6 patients with ROSC in spite of maximal ETCO2 was less than 10mmHg. CONCLUSION: Continuous ETCOB monitoring during CPR may be useful, noninvasive, and valuable predictor of successful resuscitation and survival from cardiac arrest. But ETCO2 should lot be used as a single indicator for the withdrawal of CPR.
Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Emergency Medicine ; Female ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Prospective Studies ; Resuscitation ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Acrokeratosis verruciformis is a familial disease characterized by indolent papules resembIing flat warts on the backs of the hands and feet with lesser involvement of volar surfaces, wrists, and ankles. A cas of 42 years old female with acrokeratosis verruciformis is reported. The skin lesions of this patient showed numerous rice to pea sized, flat-topped, round or polygonal, warty papules on the dorsal aspects of the hands and feet and also, pitted keratolysis on both volar surface of the hands. The hitologic findings were those of features of acrokeratosis verruciformis, i.e. the epidermis shows marked hyperkeratosis with slight acanthosis and papillomatosis and circumscribed elevations of the epidermis resembling church spires characteristically.
Adult ; Ankle ; Darier Disease* ; Epidermis ; Female ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Papilloma ; Peas ; Skin ; Warts ; Wrist

An accurate and relatively simple method for estimating the amount of acute blood loss is essential in the hemorrhagic shock patients. Conventional physiologic parameters, blood pressure, pulse rate and CVP, could not serve for evaluation of the adequate oxygen transport in the tissue. Pulmonary artery catheter is a best tool for evaluating the cardiopulmonary function and the oxygen transport system, and mixed venous oxygen saturation(SvO2) monitoring have made a great advances for early detection of cardiovascular dysfunction and the changes in peripheral tissue oxygenation. But pulmonary artery catheterization is complicated procedure in emergency setting. Although the central venous oxygen saturation(ScvO2) cannot completely replace the SvO2 value, it has a close relation with SvO2 change in variable clinical situations. We testify the usefulness of ScvO2 monitoring in 24 patients of the hemorrhagic shock. Initial resuscitation was performed with ATLS standard and continuous ScvO2 was monitored. Systolic blood pressure and pulse rate were recorded for one hour from initial resuscitation in each 15 minutes. Nineteen patient was traumatic hemorrhagic shock and five was non traumatic. Twelve of 19 patients was blunt trauma, and remains were stab in injury mechanism. Mortality rate was 29.2%. Initial ScvO2 of nonsurvivor was 43.6%, and 51.3% in survivor groups(p>0.05). In the group of stab wound and non-traumatic hemorrhage, the ScvO2 was gradually increase by time. But ScvO2 in survivors of blunt trauma was increased first 30 minutes and decrease afterthen. Continuous monitoring of ScvO2 may by partly useful in resuscitation for hemorrhagic shock. It is more valuable in the blunt trauma than in the penetrating injury or non-traumatic hemorrhage.
Blood Pressure ; Catheterization, Swan-Ganz ; Catheters ; Emergencies ; Heart Rate ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Oxygen* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Resuscitation ; Shock, Hemorrhagic* ; Survivors ; Wounds, Stab

Industrial exposure to toxic agent may produce a wide variety of respiratory damage. Acetic acid is a colorless liquid with a pungent vingar-like odor. It is a rare case that acute lung injury is caused by inhalation of acetic acid. Acetic acid is miscible with water, and may directly produce damage to mucosa of respiratory tract due to its irritant quality. The outcome of the reaction is dependent on the intensity and duration of exposure and varies from death or pulmonary edema in acute phase to resolution or bronchiolitis obliterans or bronchiectasis. We experienced a rose of acute lung injury due to accidental inhalation of acetic acid. The patient was a 31-year-old male who had developed progressive chest discomfort, chilling sense, and mild dyspnea after accidental inhalation of acetic acid. He had severe hypoxemia and chest radiograph showed diane bilateral alveolar edema. He responded to conservative treatment with oxygen inhalation and was discharged with improved condition on the 7th hospital day.
Acetic Acid* ; Acute Lung Injury* ; Adult ; Anoxia ; Bronchiectasis ; Bronchiolitis Obliterans ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Odors ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Edema ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory System ; Thorax ; Water

The Dichloromethane(methylene chloride) is a highly volatile liquid used as a solvent, extraction medium, and paint remover. The most significant route of intoxication to dichloromethane is generally inhalation at work site or home, but ingestion is rare. The main toxicological harvard insults from in vivo conversion of dichloromethane to carbon monoxide. We present a case of dichloromethane intoxication following ingestion. A 71 years old male patient ingested 60-70cc of dichloromethane was brought to emergency department after stomach washout via nasogastric tube at other hospital. On arrival at emergency department(approximately 19 hours after ingestion), he was stuporous with a blood pressure 140/90mmHg, heart rate of 92 beats/min, dyspneic, respiratory rate of 24/min and body temperature 36.8 degrees C. His Pupils were isocoric, miotic, and sluggishly reactive. There were mucosal bums and significant secretion in oral cavity. On auscultation, breathing sound was coarse without role on both lung field. The COHb levels were 6.3%at 32 hours after ingestion and normalized to 0.6%at 44 hours after ingestion. Patient was transfered to intensive care unit and supportive care was started with 100% oxygen. On ingestion 4th day, chest X-ray showed pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome developed. Patient regained the consciousness on the 11th day. On the 30th day, respiratory function improved and the ventilator was removed. Alveolitis and mild pulmonary fibrosis developed and mild dyspnea was continued. On the 36th day, gastroscopic examinations showed ulceration of esophagus and stomach. On the 76th day, patient was discharged after pulmonary rehabilitation.
Aged ; Auscultation ; Blood Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Carbon Monoxide ; Consciousness ; Dyspnea ; Eating* ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Esophagus ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Male ; Methylene Chloride* ; Mouth ; Oxygen ; Paint ; Pulmonary Edema ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Pupil ; Rehabilitation ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Rate ; Respiratory Sounds ; Stomach ; Stupor ; Thorax ; Ulcer ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Workplace

No abstract available.
Humans*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Maxillary Sinus* ; Maxillary Sinusitis*